Mystic Comics #5-10

Here's where you report issue analyses of any issue in any universe or timeline.

Moderators: Col_Fury, michel, Arthur, Somebody, StrayLamb

Post Reply
User avatar
Col_Fury
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 7752
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:37 am
Location: on a Helicarrier, above Illinois
Contact:

Mystic Comics #5-10

Post by Col_Fury »

These haven’t been collected in Masterworks form yet, so I’ll go into a little more detail than usual (since they’re not available for purchase, unless you happen to have thousands of dollars just lying around).

MYSTIC COMICS #5 (March 1941)
By George Mandel

This Black Marvel story was covered over here.

2nd Story:
By Paul Gustavson

APPEARANCES:
Super Slave, Cappy, Jane, a bunch of jerks, some run-runners

SYNOPSIS:
A fishing boat crashes and the captain makes it to shore, but his daughter is lost in the sea. As he passes out his hand lands on a bracelet and a genie billows out. The fisherman tells him to find Jane, so he does, then waits all night for him to wake up to make his next wish. When they wake up he explains how things (“I’m your slave”) work and vanishes back into the bracelet. The two wander off to find help and find an old shack, but the people inside try to shoot them. Cappy summons the Super Slave who beats up the jerks, but the guy in charge takes Jane hostage and Cappy sends Super Slave back into the bracelet. Cappy and Jane are taken hostage. Cappy summons the Super Slave again, but this time he’s small; he runs around and empties all the guns, then grows large and beats up all the crooks. The three leave the shack and notice a boat of rum-runners pulling up. Oh, no!

3rd Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Sub-Earth Man (also in fb) & his Flame Men (lava creatures), Bob Roland, Carol, bystanders

FLASHBACK:
Long ago when the Earth was a fiery planet, the Sub-Earth Man was in charge. As the Earth cooled his influence faded.
SYNOPSIS:
In Las Palmas (Mexico), a geologist and his fiancé climb a volcano and find a stone door. They explore inside and Carol is attacked by lava creatures (wearing asbestos suits. …what?). The two are overpowered and taken to a giant lava creature, the Sub-Earth Man; he explains who he is and that he makes volcanos erupt to remind people who he is. Also, he’s planning a big earthquake soon. With his story finished he orders Bob and Carol to be tossed in lava. Bob offers to tell the Sub-Earth Man where a big city is in exchange for not being killed. Bob gives him the directions and the Sub-Earth Man shows them the way out. An earthquake cracks a fissure in the ground, but it’s under the ocean and water fills the “Middle Earth” domain. As the Fire Men divert the water Bob and Carol blow a hole in the side of a volcano (with dynamite) to stop a tidal wave from drowning Las Palmas. With the immediate threat dealt with, they deice they need to do something about the Sub-Earth Man.

4th Story:
By Phil Sturm & Syd Shores

This Terror story was covered over here.

NOTE:
Followed by “The Legend of the Blackfeet” text story.

5th Story:
By George Kapitan & Harry Sahle

This Black Widow story is already in the MCP.

6th Story:
By Fred Guardineer

This Moon Man story is already in the MCP.

7th Story:
By Bob Davis

This Blazing Skull story was covered over here.

MYSTIC COMICS #6 (October 1941)
By Stan Lee & Jack Binder

This Mighty Destroyer story was covered over here.

2nd Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
the Mighty Destroyer, Scar, Florence von Banger, Nazis, R.A.F. pilots, German bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
The Nazi party feels that the German citizens are getting a bit too uppity so they ask the Scar (a scientist who invented a death ray gun) to kill some to set an example. They drive past some people rioting at a food ration line and the Scar kills them. A lady (Florence von Banger) runs out, upset that her father was one of the people killed. The Mighty Destroyer introduces himself and says he’ll stop the Scar from killing more people; he finds Scar approaching another group of rioters but is overpowered. Scar begins to torture the Destroyer but he breaks free. The next day he sabotages some Nazi anti-aircraft guns. The next day he crashes a public execution, disarms Scar and fistfights with him, eventually killing him.

NOTE:
Florence knows that the Mighty Destroyer is Keen Marlow.

3rd Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Black Marvel, Dr. Eisenburg, Nazi sympathizers, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
A German refugee begins a job at an American college and gives a speech about how terrible the Nazi party is, so some Bundists beat him up. The Black Marvel stops them, but the next day Dr. Eisenburg is found stabbed to death. Black Marvel catches a suspect but he has amnesia. While in custody someone tries to kill the suspect but the Black Marvel kills the attacker. Black Marvel ricks the guy into trying to kill Eisenburg again, then has him arrested.

NOTE:
Followed by “The Mystic Line-Up” text story (by Stan Lee).

4th Story:
By ???

This Terror story is already in the MCP.

5th Story:
By ???

This Challenger story is already in the MCP.

6th Story:
By ???

This Blazing Skull story is already in the MCP.

MYSTIC COMICS #7 (December 1941)
By Phil Bard

APPEARANCES:
the Mighty Destroyer, Florence von Banger, Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm von Sin, Nazis, British Navy, German bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Nazi agent Sin has invented a remote controlled plane (“the machine of death”) and uses it to destroy a British destroyer. Meanwhile, the Mighty Destroyer helps some starving German citizens get food. Later, Keen Marlow and Florence von Banger are strolling in the woods when they find Sin testing his plane. Marlow “trips” and stops him from destroying another British ship; he and von Banger are thrown in a concentration camp for his trouble. Sin reports to Hitler, who tells him his new mission is to capture the Destroyer. Meanwhile, Marlow is taken out of his cell to be executed but he escapes. As the Destroyer he tracks down Sin, who has launched a fleet of remote controlled planes against the British. The Destroyer fights through a bunch of Nazis and stops the planes and kills Sin. The Nazi soldiers present see the error of their ways and defect. Also, the Destroyer frees Florence.

2nd Story:
By Mike Suchorsky

This Witness story is already in the MCP.

3rd Story:
By Stan Drake

This Black Widow story is already in the MCP.

NOTE:
Followed by “Heritage of Destruction” text story (featuring the Mighty Destroyer, by Stan Lee).

4th Story:
By George Klein

This Challenger story is already in the MCP.

5th Story:
By ???

This Terror story is already in the MCP.

NOTE:
Followed by “Ghost-brought Justice” text story. Two in one issue? Gosh!

6th Story:
By ???

This Davey & the Demon story is already in the MCP.

7th Story:
By Al Gabriele

APPEARANCES:
Black Marvel, Grinner (Dr. Weems), criminals, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
A scientist is looking for a quick cure for pneumonia, but his formula turns him into a monster; he calls himself the Grinner and gathers an army of criminals and starts an extortion racket. The Black Marvel tracks him down and kills him.

8th Story:
By ???

This Blazing Skull story is already in the MCP.

MYSTIC COMICS #8 (March 1942)
By Bernard Klein

APPEARANCES:
Black Marvel, Death, Mr. Chisholm (African mine owner), Ridley (rival mine owner), Buka (a witch doctor, also as “Vool-Kan”), miners, Africans, gangsters

SYNOPSIS:
A giant diamond is found in a mine but when anyone touches it they die. A witch doctor warns there’s a curse on the diamond and the miners go on strike. Gangsters arrive and when they try to get the diamond they die too. The Black Marvel arrives and tries to fight off the gangsters, but he’s captured by the witch doctor’s tribe. They prepare to barbeque the Black Marvel, but he wakes up, escapes and then fights some lions. He returns to the mine and stops the owner from selling the mine and reveals it was all a plot for some jerk to buy a mine on the cheap.

NOTE:
Again, Death appears when someone dies.

2nd Story:
By Howard James

APPEARANCES:
Davey & the Demon, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
The Demon continues his rampage so Davey punches him in the nose. The Demon prepares to boil Davey alive.

3rd Story:
By Stan Lee & ???

APPEARANCES:
the Mighty Destroyer, Adolf Hitler, von Maus, Nazis, German bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
The Mighty Destroyer stops some Nazis from killing a guy in the street, then gets a job as a waiter in a hotel. He gives some Nazi officers a hard time by spilling food on them, then stops other officers from torturing someone in a private room. Upset the Destroyer is still causing problems, Hitler orders von Maus (the Gestapo’s manhunter) to get him. After meeting in the hotel restaurant the two fight and the Destroyer disguises himself as von Maus. He meets Hitler and prepares to attack, but he’s chased off by Nazis.

NOTE:
Keen Marlow is described as an “idle tourist” in this issue.

4th Story:
By “S.T.Anley”

This Witness story is already in the MCP.

5th Story:
By ???

This Terror story is already in the MCP.

NOTE:
Followed by “Ghost Story” text story.

6th Story:
By Syd Shores

This Blazing Skull story is already in the MCP.

7th Story:
By ???

This Challenger story is already in the MCP.

MYSTIC COMICS #9 (May 1942)
By ???

APPEARANCES:
the Mighty Destroyer, Florence von Banger, Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Nazis (Baron Uuh named), German bystanders (Hans named)

SYNOPSIS:
Keen Marlow and Florence von Banger attend a Hitler rally and heckle him from the crowd. Later, he orders (again) the Destroyer be found. Meanwhile, the Destroyer hangs out with German anti-Nazi insurgents (“Freedom Station”), but they’re raided by the Gestapo. The Mighty Destroyer fights them off, then helps the anti-fascists move their base. Later, the Gestapo searches for the Destroyer and rounds up Florence in one of their raids. Hitler holds another rally, but the Destroyer uses the insurgents’ radio equipment to break into his broadcast and calls for the people of Germany to see reason and rise up against their ignorant, foolhardy leader. Meanwhile, Florence is tortured for information. The Gestapo narrows in on the broadcast and finds the Destroyer; he’s captured while the freedom fighters escape. The Destroyer is brought to meet Hitler who wants to watch him be tortured. Seeing Florence the Destroyer breaks free, frees her and escapes. The Freedom Station is moved into a stolen Nazi bomber. Later, he interrupts another Hitler rally broadcast, but the bomber is attacked. The Destroyer parachutes away with the radio equipment.

NOTE:
According to the Mighty Destroyer, anyone who is a fascist, sympathizes with fascists or looks the other way from fascism is a weak-minded fool.

2nd Story:
By ???

This Witness story is already in the MCP.

3rd Story:
By Don Rico

This Terror story is already in the MCP.

4th Story:
By Howard James

APPEARANCES:
Davey & the Demon, Prince of Good, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
The Prince of Good arrives and saves Davey, then buries the Demon under a mountain. The Demon escapes and attacks New York City. The Prince of Good returns again and throws the Demon off a skyscraper.

NOTE:
Followed by “Manhunt!” text story.

5th Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Black Marvel, Jerry Madden, “Longnails” Legarva (gangster) & his crooks, a prison warden, police, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Jerry Madden is released from prison (for robbery) and the warden sets him up with a job as a bank guard. A gangster tries to get Jerry to set up an inside job on the bank but he refuses. The Black Marvel arrives, runs off the gangsters and tells Jerry he did a good job. The next day, the gangster knocks out Jerry and frames him for murder. Jerry is arrested, s the Black Marvel brings the gangster to the police and makes him confess. Jerry is set free.

6th Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Gary Gaunt, Jean Carson, criminals, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Criminals are tired of criminologist and scientist Gary Gaunt solving crimes, so they try to kill him. Injured, he makes a chemical mixture to heal himself and passes out. Wondering where Gary is, Jean (his girlfriend) goes to check on him but finds a mysterious stranger stealing a diamond. She shoots at the stranger but misses. She drops her purse and the police blame Jean for the theft. She waits for Gary at his place, but the stranger arrives and begins to strangle her. The sunrise stops him and he everts to Gary. She says he’ll have to return the things he stole. He wonders what his life will be like as a criminologist by day and a criminal by night.

7th Story:
By ???

This Blazing Skull story is already in the MCP.

8th Story:
By Stan Lee & Mike Sekowsky

This Challenger story is already in the MCP.

MYSTIC COMICS #10 (August 1942)
By John Forte

APPEARANCES:
the Mighty Destroyer, Florence von Banger, Adolf Hitler, Nazis, concentration camp detainees

SYNOPSIS:
The Mighty Destroyer frees some newly incarcerated concentration camp prisoners of war. Hitler meets with his production man, and tells him to make more munitions. Hearing about this from Florence, the Destroyer decides to attack Nazi munitions factories. He finds a factory using slave labor, starts a revolt and destroys the plant.

2nd Story:
By Sol Brodsky

An Inky Dinky gag strip.

3rd Story:
By Louis Golden

APPEARANCES:
Jimmy, Jackie, World of Wonder residents (dragons, ogres, etc.)

SYNOPSIS:
Jimmy and Jackie are two brothers in the World of Wonder looking for magic items. They’re chased around by a giant and an ogre. They find a magic hour glass and are attacked by more ogres. Jackie uses the hour glass and ages 15 years in 15 minutes, then beats up the ogres. They return home and Jackie uses the hour glass to revert 15 years.

4th Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Father Time, John Trent, Sidot, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Father Time helps explorer John Trent from having an idol he found get stolen. It all turns out to be an insurance scam. Everyone’s a bad guy in this one!

5th Story:
By Sol Brodsky

Another Inky Dinky gag strip.

6th Story:
By Mike Sekowsky

APPEARANCES:
Davey & the Demon, bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
The Demon wakes up and continues his rampage. Davey (an orphan child, remember) CHARTERS A PLANE and follows the Demon to the Grand Canyon. Davey traps the Demon in a cave, and when an underground river suddenly floods the cave the Demon drowns. …yeah…

7th Story:
By Sol Brodsky

Another Inky Dinky gag strip.

NOTE:
Followed by “The Mystery of the Sea Urchin” text story.

8th Story:
By ???

APPEARANCES:
Red Skeleton, Stan Lee, other Timely staff, Deena Drayson (Red’s assistant/photographer), Tony Conville (rich guy), fashion models (Boots Connors, Brenda Grant named), Big Sutton (racketeer), bystanders

SYNOPSIS:
Editor Stan Lee tells klutz writer “Red” Skeleton that his newest story is garbage and ends him out to write a better one. He decides to check out a fashion show. A model is murdered and a necklace is stolen. Red goes to the model’s house to look for clues and finds her roommate has also been murdered. It turns out the necklace’s owner Tony Conville had teamed up with racketeer Big Sutton to steal the necklace and collect insurance money on it. Deena saves Red and the crooks are arrested. Red tries to sell the story to Stan, but he says it’s too unbelievable.

9th Story:
By Don Rico

This Terror story is already in the MCP.

10th Story:
By Sol Brodsky

Another Inky Dinky gag strip.

11th Story:
By ???

This Challenger story is already in the MCP, but it should be the eleventh story, not the seventh.

Chronologies!

APE
MYSC 7/4

*APE (renumber to be the second)
HTC 36/4

*APE II (renumber to be the third)
PP 12
……

BLACK MARVEL/DAN LYONS
MYSC 5-FB
MYSC 5
ALLWC 1/2
*MYSC 6/3
*MYSC 7/7
*MYSC 8
*MYSC 9/5
MARVELS 1
……

CARSON, JEAN
MYSC 9/6

CHALLENGER/BILL WARING
DARMC 7/8
MYSC 6/5
MYSC 7/4
MYSC 8/7
M/PRM 29
MYSC 9/8
**MYSC 10/7 (delete)
*MYSC 10/11
M/KSM 9 (14:3)-FB
……

CHURCHILL, SIR WINSTON
NSUB 52-FB-BTS
SUBC 3
CAC 5/5
*MYSC 6/6
HTC 5B
INHS2 10-FB
……

DEATH
……
WIH 15
M/MC 21/6
M/MC 21/7
*MYSC 8
MISSF 6
THANOSR 1 (1 - 13)-FB
……

DEMON
MYSC 7/6
MYSC 8/2
MYSC 9/4
MYSC 10/6

*DEMON (renumber to be the second)
JIM 123
JIM 124
JIM 125

*DEMON II/GENE SIMMONS (renumber to be the third)
M/SSPEC 1
……

DESTROYER II/BRIAN FALSWORTH/"KEEN MARLOW"
INV 19-FB
{MYSC 6}
*MYSC 6/2
**USAC70A (move from here)
ALLWC 2/3
*MYSC 7
*USAC70A (move to here)
*ALLWC 3/5 (move to here)
M/PROJECT 7
**ALLWC 3/5 (move from here)
*MYSC 8/3
ALLWC 4/5
*MYSC 9
INV 18
……

DESTROYER III/ROGER AUBREY/"KEEN MARLOW"
……
INV 34
*MYSC 10
MARVELS 1
USAC 6/3
USAC 8/2
MSU 9
……

DOCTOR FEAR/AMBROSE Q. MEEK
MYSC 8/6

DRAGA, LON “LIZARD”
MYSC 10/11

DRAYSON, DEENA
MYSC 10/8

DREW, DAVEY
MYSC 7/6
*MYSC 8/2
*MYSC 9/4
*MYSC 10/6
ALLWS:BH 3-FB
ALLWS:BH 4-FB

FATHER TIME II/LARRY SCOTT
……
CAC 12/4
YALLIESC 3/5
*MYSC 10/4
ALLWS:BH 2-FB
……

GAUNT, GARY
MYSC 9/6

GOEBBELS, JOSEPH
SAGASUB 5-FB
CAC 22/3
*MYSC 9
HTC 8
……

GOERING, HERMANN WILHELM
……
YALLIESC 1
*MYSC 9
MISSF 4-FB
HTC 8
……

GRINNER/DR. WEEMS
MYSC 7/7

HITLER, ADOLF
……
ALLWC 2/3
*MYSC 7
HTC 5B
CAC 22/3
*MYSC 8/3
**ALLWC 4/5 (move from here)
GSINV 1-FB
*ALLWC 4/5 (move to here)
*MYSC 9
{SGTF 1}
……
DS2 51
*MYSC 10
SGTF 24
HTC 8
SGTF 28
……

LEE, STAN/STANLEY LIEBER
*MYSC 10/8
SGTF 22
SS3 -1-FB
SS3 -1
{FF 10}
……

OLD ONE
MYSC 9/3

*OLD ONE (renumber to be the second)
A 75-FB
……

*OLD ONE II (renumber to be the third)
SKAAR:SOH 1
……

PRINCE OF GOOD
MYSC 9/4

ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN DELANO
……
CAC 4
HTC 4/3
*MYSC 6/4
HTC 5B
**[MYSC 6/4] (delete)
CA 281-FB-BTS
……

SATAN/"MARDUK KURIOS"
SAVSCO 19/2-BTS
TWELVE 8-FB
{MYSC 4/5}
*MYSC 5/5
*MYSC 7/3
M/MC 27/3
[M/MC 34/6]
USAC 5/2
CAC 21/3
[ALLWC 8]
ST 8/3
……

SCAR
MYSC 6/2

*SCAR/VANCE (renumber to be the second)
[M/HOL 2011/3]

SKELETON, RED
MYSC 10/8

STRANGLER
MYSC 6/5

SUB-EARTH MAN
MYSC 5/3-FB
MYSC 5/3

SUPER SLAVE
MYSC 5/2

VON BANGER, FLORENCE
*MYSC 6/2
ALLWC 2/3
*MYSC 7
ALLWC 3/5
*MYSC 9
ALLWC 4/5
*MYSC 10
USAC 6/3

VON SIN, WILHELM
MYSC 7
-Daron Jensen
loki
Comic Pro
Comic Pro
Posts: 407
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:37 pm

Re: Mystic Comics #5-10

Post by loki »

Isn't it "Stanley Dee" of "Crimely Comics", rather than Stan Lee of Timely, in that last story?
User avatar
Col_Fury
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 7752
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:37 am
Location: on a Helicarrier, above Illinois
Contact:

Re: Mystic Comics #5-10

Post by Col_Fury »

Cripes, you're right. It's so obviously a renamed Stan/Timely my brain just converted it, I guess.

There are a bunch of times where a cutely-named Stalin/Russia (or whatever) was considered to be the Real McCoy instead of a stand-in. I'm going to vote for the same thing here with Stanley/Crimely.

Good eye, loki!
-Daron Jensen
Post Reply